This invention is directed to an apparatus which can be used as an infant stroller and as an infant automobile seat.
There are a wide variety of infant strollers and infant car seats available in the marketplace. Most of such devices perform a singular function, although there are some combination devices which have multiple function capabilities, e.g., strollers which can be converted into infant automobile seats and vice versa. These combination apparatus are usually mechanically complex and very inconvenient to convert from one form to the other. Moreover, although these devices are marketed as multifunction apparatus, they generally perform only one function well.
U.S. Patents describing strollers and infant seats, including combination apparatus are found in the listing below which is exemplary not exhaustive on the subject.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,633 U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,069 U.S. Pat. No. 1,727,335 U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,164 U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,642 U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,998 U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,911 U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,865 U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,468 U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,113 U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,162 U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,241 U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,651 U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,115 U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,622 U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,962 U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,612 U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,674 ______________________________________
It is evident from the above patents which describe combination apparatus that several elements usually must be moved, rotated, unlatched, locked, etc. to convert from one form of the device to the other. Some of the multi-use apparatus require the seat assembly to be disengaged from the wheel assembly and the latter to be stored elsewhere, e.g. in the back of the automobile, when the unit is used as an infant car seat, which is a considerable inconvenience.
What has been needed and heretofore unavailable is a combination stroller-infant seat which can be easily and quickly converted from one form to the other without dismantling the seat assembly from the wheel assembly and without requiring removal of the infant from the seat assembly during conversion from one form to the other or requiring having the infant unattended while storing part of the apparatus. The present invention satisfies this need.